


Rock On!

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Thicker than Water [89]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-16
Updated: 2013-11-16
Packaged: 2018-01-01 17:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1046307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Also, shout out to Will LaMontagne for bringing the Big Easy to The Palisades and to my big brother Hotch.  Yo, I'm on the radio fools!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rock On!

**Author's Note:**

> This story is told in the Thicker than Water universe, where the BAU are kids and teens. I was just sitting at work and Coop started talking in my head. I never ignore Coop, he’s too interesting for that.

“What in the hell are we listening to?” Coop made a funny face from the backseat of the Woody.

“I think it’s Testament but I'm not entirely sure.” Emily replied.

“OK, the why is more important than the what in that question. And the why was implied so don’t give me that look.”

“I've been listening to this station for over a week. I'm trying to win these VIP tickets to the Megadeth show for JJ. By the time she found out about it they were sold out. This station is having a contest. The 10th caller gets tickets to the show, VIP backstage passes to meet the band, and a Megadeth goodie bag.”

“You're nowhere near a phone, Prentiss.” Coop reasoned.

“Jason is. We’ve been rotating, calling all over the place. They pick a time to call winners at random and then you have to answer a hard rock question. It’s difficult.”

“Do you know anything about hard rock music, Em?” Zoe asked. She was sitting in the passenger seat.

“Not really, but JJ surely does and she's going to help. She's a pint size expert.”

“She's not in the car. Can we please listen to something more bearable? I’d rather listen to cheesy love songs than this. I can rock as hard as the next dude but this is too much.”

“Guy in the backseat gets no say.” Emily said. She reached for the radio, turning the knob. It brought the music from the back speakers to the front speakers. “I’ll give you some relief.”

“Well I guess that’s something.”

“And you really don’t rock as hard as the next dude.” Zoe said.

“I love you too, Zo.”

“Oh great.” Emily sighed as the music faded and the DJ spoke. “Someone who isn’t me is probably about to win some tickets.”

“Caller 10,” the DJ said. “Who’s this?”

“Um, this is Jason.” He said.

“Oh my God!” Zoe exclaimed. “Em, its Jason!”

“Are you sure that’s your Jason?” Coop asked from the back. “I can barely hear it now.”

“Now you're going to complain about barely hearing it?” Zoe looked back at him and cut her eyes. 

“I'm gonna pull over guys.”

Emily pulled the Woody over to the curb about six blocks from Coop’s house and turned on the radio. 

“Are you a big Megadeth fan?” the DJ asked.

“No, but my little sister is.” Jason replied. “She's had some struggles recently and I want to do something awesome for her.”

“I can't think of too many things more awesome than a metal show. All you have to do is answer one question and your little sister will be on her way. Are you ready?”

“I think so.”

“In 1983 Dave Mustaine was fired from Metallica and formed Megadeth in L.A. Who were the original members of his new band?”

“May I ask a question?” Jason asked.

“No one’s ever asked that before.” The DJ chuckled. “Knock yourself out dude.”

“Do you want the original, pre-record deal Megadeth or the members when they signed to Combat Records and recorded their first record?”

“Well, well, we do have a Megadeth fan here.”

“I guess so.” Jason said.

“Whoa,” Zoe looked at Emily. “How does he even know all this stuff about Megadeth?”

“Jason is a bookworm. If something intrigues them then he starts researching it.”

“You think Megadeth intrigues Jason?” Coop asked. He couldn’t hide the skepticism in his voice.

“I don’t think so but I know that JJ does.”

Coop nodded, his attention turning back to the radio. He didn’t think Jason could answer correctly but he’d give it the old college try, as they say.

“Tell us the lineup when they signed their deal with Combat Records.”

“The original Megadeth lineup was Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, Gar Samuelson, and Chris Poland.”

The pause on the radio was the longest Emily ever heard in her life. She just sat there in the driver’s seat, fingers crossed, hoping for a miracle. The fact that Jason got through at all and then was caller ten was already pretty high up there. Winning the tickets would be stratospheric.

“Dude…you are correct!” the DJ exclaimed. “You just won yourself, and your little sister, the VIP treatment when Megadeth plays the Verizon Center with special guest Bloodletting next month. The VIP package includes three tickets to the show, fourth row center for ultimate moshing. You get three backstage passes to meet the band and a Megadeth goodie bag including tee shirts, CDs, and posters. How does that sound?”

“My little sister is a huge Megadeth fan. If I don’t hand her the phone so she can talk to you she’s gonna kill me.”

“Hey little sis!”

“Oh my God, yo Dougie this is JJ. I listen to your show every day when I get home from school and I'm doing homework and stuff. You rock so hard! And last week I called in to request _Symphony of Destruction_ and you guys played it. Me and my brother Derek always rock out when you're on the radio. Also, shout out to Will LaMontagne for bringing the Big Easy to The Palisades and to my big brother Hotch. Yo, I'm on the radio fools!”

“Yes you are.” Dougie laughed. “How about we throw in 96Rocks tee shirts for you and all of your big brothers?”

“And my little brother Spencer too? That would be so wicked!”

“You got it. OK JJ, tell me what station rocked your world with Megadeth tickets and keeps it hardcore for the Corridor?”

“96.1, the Rock rocks!”

“I really like your little sister.” Coop smiled as Emily pulled away from the curb. “She's wicked cool for a runt. Quick, turn the station so I can hear one bearable song before you drop me at my house.”

“Alright, alright.” Emily turned on the local 80s and 90s station; U2 sang _Gloria_.

“I said bearable, Prentiss.” Coop turned up his nose. “What does a dude have to do in this town to hear a little Cream, Deep Purple, Zeppelin, or even Fleetwood Mac in this car?”

“Hey, the driver gets to pick the music.” Emily said.

“And dude in the backseat totally shuts his cakehole.” Zoe said.

“You guys are so funny, ha-ha.” Coop crossed his arms. “Maybe you should take your show on the road or something.”

***

Emily was barely through the door when JJ came charging at her. She had no idea how she could lift the 13 year old off the ground. Emily was a little on the skinny side and still wished on falling stars for a little more boob than her 34 B bras. Yet she seemed to get her physical strength from somewhere. With JJ’s legs wrapped around her, the two teenagers jumped around in the living room.

“I heard you on the radio.” Emily said when JJ’s feet were back on the ground.

“No bull?”

“No bull. I was dropping off Zoe and Coop when Jason got picked as caller ten. We've been listening to the station for three weeks now trying to win tickets.”

“I'm seriously telling you Em that this is the most awesomest day of my life. I don’t even care that awesomest isn’t a word; that’s how awesome it is.”

“I'm sure you don’t.” Emily shook her head. “It’s inconsequential at the moment.”

“Oh my God, fourth row center!” JJ was bouncing on the balls of her feet, which wasn’t easy in a pair of imitation Doc Martens boots. “I'm gonna mosh my brains out. And then I'm gonna meet Dave. I'm so excited! Jason is making celebration brownies for dessert tonight.”

“Between chocolate and excitement you might not get much sleep.”

“It’s totally worth it!” JJ exclaimed. She turned and ran back through the den and into the kitchen. “Totally!”

Emily smiled. It had been a while since JJ had been so happy. She’d been struggling with the Jacob Dawes incident but any girl would be. Emily worried that there might be some sexual intimidation in JJ’s past and the trigger was pulled again. The young teen immersed herself in her heavy metal, hardcore rap, and had begun writing on her skin. 

Emily worried that the writing could lead to more harmful activity. She just did her best to be there; to observe, love, and listen. Music had been proven to heal, to save people’s lives. If Megadeth could do that for her little sister then it was worth the deafness Emily would experience until at least a week after the show.

She dragged herself up to her bedroom, immediately dropping her school bag on the carpet by her dresser. The door was mostly closed as she began it undress. Hotch knocked and walked in without waiting to be asked. He let out a shriek, covering his eyes. The sound made Emily laugh. Surely he hadn’t produced a sound like that since his balls dropped years ago.

“Oh c'mon, you’ve seen breasts before Hotch.”

“Uh uh, not yours.” He shook his head, eyes still covered.

“What about when I had chicken pox?” Emily asked.

“You remember that?” Hotch put his hands down but still squinted. “Please put a shirt on before Jason comes up here to kiss you hello and beats me senseless.”

She smirked, going into her top drawer for the Camper von Beethoven tee shirt she bought at her favorite thrift store.

“We never have to talk about that again, you know. The chicken pox thing…the boob thing. You were sick and I took care of you. That’s all.”

“They're breasts, Hotch. I really don’t know what the big deal is.”

“I heard I got shouted out on the radio.” He changed the subject. The girl unnerved him and sometimes he was sure that she knew. “I didn’t hear it, I was on the train.”

“Yeah,” Emily nodded. “Jason won the Megadeth tickets. Things got pretty exciting around here.”

“Did you hear it?”

“I was in the car with Coop and Zoe. JJ is really excited.”

“Are you taking her?” Hotch asked. “I can't really imagine Jason at a Megadeth concert.”

“We’ll take her together.”

“I thought she only got three tickets…she promised to take Morgan.”

“Dave has a line on two more from an old FBI friend. That’s a much better idea than Anderson and the scalper. Though he did promise not to rob us blind and I trust him. Still, it’s a big ticket event so scalpers are going for their money’s worth.”

“I bet.” He nodded.

“Do you know what's for dinner?” Emily asked. “I'm starving.”

“Chicken I think. Em, sometimes things can get awkward and…”

“Hello, hello.” Jason popped his head in and Emily smiled. Hotch sighed, using the opportunity to take his leave.

“Hey there.” Emily walked into his arms and gave him a kiss. She waved goodbye to Hotch as he walked out.

“Did I interrupt something?” Jason asked.

“We were just talking about the Megadeth show.”

“I cannot believe I won those tickets.” Jason smiled. He looked so happy that his whole face glowed. “JJ was standing beside me the whole time cheering me on. Did you hear us on the radio?”

“I did.” Emily kissed him again. “It was an exciting moment for all of us.”

“And Dave called me right after. He got a line on two tickets for the seventh row left. We won't be able to sit together but still it’s a good deal.”

“It’s not going to cost too much money is it?”

“I think he said the guy wanted some single malt scotch.” Jason replied. “That can get expensive but Dave is quite picky about his scotches. I'm hoping this works out.”

“If it doesn’t we’ll make it work somehow.” Emily ran her hand down his long sleeved tee shirt. “Getting JJ to the show is what's most important and now we can do that.”

“Agreed.” Jason nodded.

“Hey, I know it’s a school night but um…” she wrapped her arms around him. “Maybe later I can let the victor have his spoils.”

“Sometimes I don’t know what I'm going to do with you.” Jason put his arms around her waist and held her close.

“I’ll tell you later…I’ll show you later.”

“Maybe.” Jason kissed her nose.

“Tell me you love me.” Emily took hold of his hand before he left the room. She knew he did but sometimes hearing it was nice.

“I love you, Katya.”

“I love you too.”

She kissed him once more and let him go to finish dinner. Emily still needed to get into her comfy clothes. She needed to check on everyone else and make sure the kids had a good day. Sometimes there was never enough time for all she wanted to do. Tonight would be a good night for her though, she would make sure. It didn’t matter if she ended it in Jason’s bed or her own.

***

“One hour until bedtime guys.” Emily walked into JJ and Penelope’s room at 8:30. Now that JJ was 13 she could stay up until 10 but she always respected Penelope’s lights out time.

“JJ is still super excited.” Penelope said from her bed. “She can barely sit still.”

“It’s only the coolest thing ever, PG. OK, the coolest thing ever would be Guns N Roses getting back together and going on tour. This is the second coolest thing ever. I’m having a dilemma though; can you help me Emily.”

“Of course.”

She sat down beside JJ on her bed. That’s when she finally saw what Penelope was doing. The 11 year old sat on her bed and was making what appeared to be little imitation leather vests.

“What are you making?” Emily asked.

“Oh, Alexander the Great and Pepper are going to be supermodels.” She pointed over to her giant plastic cage on her bookshelf. One of her rats seemed to be sound asleep while the other played with a small soccer ball. Penelope spared no expense when it came to her beloved pets. “It’s the coolest thing. 

“There's a little zine called _That’s Rats_ that comes out every month. I buy it at the pet store. Inside people write cool stories about their rats and post pictures of them wearing cool clothes. I’m making the guys pleather vests for their magazine debut. JJ promised to help me with the photo shoot.”

“You're a good big sister.” Emily leaned to whisper to JJ. She knew the 13 year old wasn’t overly fond of the rodents that shared her bedroom. She loved her little sister dearly though. “That sounds really awesome Penelope.”

“It’s gonna be.” She nodded and gave her full attention back to her sewing.

“So what's your dilemma, JJ?”

“I wanna take Will to the show. He loves Megadeth too and meeting the band would be super awesome for him. His aunt even said he could go as long as a grownup goes with us. But I only have three tickets and Morgan’s my big bro and I owe him and I want him to come with us. What do I do?”

“Well Uncle Dave is trying to get some tickets for us. If he can get two, Jason and I will both come. Then you'll be able to take Will and Derek. I think it’s all gonna work out.”

“I promised to give Will my 96Rocks tee shirt cuz his aunt doesn’t like all the heavy metal stuff.” JJ said. “He's like my best friend so I want us to do this together.”

“Keep your fingers crossed.” Emily said.

“I’ll keep mine crossed,” Penelope said. “As soon as I finish sewing. I can sleep with them that way.”

“Thanks Penelope.” JJ smiled.

“No problem-o.”

“Emily, this is seriously the best day ever. Jason said he’s gonna pick up the tickets and stuff on Friday. Megadeth…woo!”

Emily laughed. She high fived JJ, said goodnight again, kissed Penelope’s head, and then left the room. She took the back stairs up to the attic. Morgan was listening to Van Halen, playing air drums. She knocked on his door and poked her head in.

“I wanted to say goodnight, Morgan.”

“Sweet dreams, Emily Prentiss.”

“You're happy.”

“I got some Diamond Dave in my ears and I'm going to see Megadeth next month. The sky’s the limit, baby.”

She smiled and left the door ajar. Then she went to Hotch’s door. He didn’t answer when Emily knocked so she did it again.

“Come on in.” he said.

“You're not on the phone, are you?” she walked in.

“No.” Hotch shook his head.

“I'm sorry I embarrassed you earlier. We never have to talk about the chicken pox thing if you don’t want to. I just appreciate that you're always there when I need you. I appreciate that you're my twin. We’re cool right?”

“We’re always cool. I've resigned myself to the fate of being embarrassed by girls I love for the rest of my life. Things could definitely be worse.”

“I love you too, Aaron Hotchner.” Emily blew him a kiss. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

***


End file.
